Private police: One of 19 provides records

Here's a footnote to
today's
story on how the records of private police agencies are shielded from the public.

On Dec. 23,
The Dispatch sent emails to the police departments and public-relations officials with 16
private universities and three Columbus-area hospital systems asking for copies of arrest reports
from 2013.

The private-sector police largely replied since they are privately operated -- and not funded or
overseen by government -- they are not required to turn over records under Ohio's public records
laws.

Ohio Wesleyan University said its lone certified officer made no arrests last year. Walsh
University provided the names of those who their officers arrested, but turned over no records.
While saying it was not required to do so, the University of Rio Grande provided records, but
redacted or blacked out all students’ names.

Case Western, John Carroll and Wilberforce universities, the College of Mount St. Joseph and
Notre Dame College did not respond to the requests for records.

Among area hospitals, Licking Memorial in Newark turned over complete, detailed records of its
officers’ arrests. OhioHealth, which operates Grant and Riverside Methodist, said it is not subject
to public records laws. OhioHealth reported its officers make no arrests, but detain suspects for
arrest by Columbus police. Fairfield Medical Center in Lancaster said it kept no arrest records,
but that information on its officers’ arrests could be found in court records.